System for measuring a stack cell voltage of a fuel cell and method thereof

Abstract

A system for measuring a stack cell voltage of a fuel cell according to the present invention comprises: a stack voltage measuring unit which measures a stack voltage of a stack cell battery for each channel; a correction variable calculating unit which calculates a correction variable by using the stack voltage value measured by the stack voltage measuring unit; and a stack voltage value correcting unit which corrects the stack voltage measured by the stack voltage measuring unit on driving by using the correction variable.

Claims

1. A system for measuring a stack cell voltage of a fuel cell, comprising: a stack voltage measuring unit specifically programmed to measure a first stack voltage of a stack cell battery for each channel in a first driving condition performing a first test drive after the vehicle is manufactured and measures a second stack voltage of the stack cell battery for each channel in a second driving condition after the test driving is performed; a correction variable calculating unit specifically programmed to calculate a correction variable by using the first stack voltage value measured by the stack voltage measuring unit during the first driving condition; and a stack voltage value correcting unit specifically programmed to correct the second stack voltage measured by the stack voltage measuring unit during the second driving condition by using the correction variable, wherein the correction variable calculating unit specifically programmed to calculate an average of the first stack voltage value received from the stack voltage measuring unit in each predetermined interval, calculates a deviation value as compared to the average for each interval and calculates the correction variable, wherein the stack voltage measuring unit is specifically programmed, to transmit the first stack voltage value measured when the test drive of the vehicle is performed after manufacturing the vehicle to the correction variable calculating unit, and transmit the second stack voltage value measured on driving after the test drive is performed to the stack voltage value correcting unit.

2. A system for measuring a stack cell voltage of a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined interval is divided by a reference of a stack current.

3. A system for measuring a stack cell voltage of a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a storage which matches and stores the deviation value as compared to the average for each interval.

4. A system for measuring a stack cell voltage of a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the stack voltage value correcting unit is specifically programmed to correct the second stack voltage measured on driving after the test drive is performed for each predetermined interval by adding or subtracting the second stack voltage measured on driving after the test drive is performed and the deviation value.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a measurement value of a stack cell voltage for each of channels of a conventional vehicle battery in the related arts.

(3) FIG. 2 shows an exemplary configuration diagram of an exemplary system for measuring a stack cell voltage of an exemplary fuel cell according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 3 shows an exemplary method for storing a correction variable of a stack cell voltage according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 4 shows an exemplary method for measuring a stack cell voltage of an exemplary fuel cell by correcting a stack cell voltage according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 5 shows an exemplary table storing a correction variable of a stack cell voltage according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(7) FIG. 6 shows an exemplary correction value of a stack cell voltage for each channel of a vehicle battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) It is understood that the term vehicle or vehicular or other similar term as used herein is inclusive of motor vehicles in general such as passenger automobiles including sports utility vehicles (SUV), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g. fuels derived from resources other than petroleum). As referred to herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that has two or more sources of power, for example both gasoline-powered and electric-powered vehicles.

(9) The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms a, an and the are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms comprises and/or comprising, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term and/or includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

(10) Hereinafter, in order to explain in detail to the extent that the ordinary skilled in the art can easily embody the technical concept of the present invention, the various exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(11) The present invention provides a novel technology capable of improving the degree of precision of a stack cell measurement value by correcting a measurement error of a stack cell voltage of a vehicle battery.

(12) Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

(13) FIG. 2 shows an exemplary system for measuring a stack cell voltage of a fuel cell according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(14) The system 100 for measuring a stack cell voltage of a fuel cell according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a stack voltage measuring unit 110, a correction variable calculating unit 120, a storage 130 and a stack voltage value correcting unit 140.

(15) The stack voltage measuring unit 110 may measure a stack cell battery of a vehicle battery. The stack cell battery may be formed by stacking a plurality of unit cells, and a channel may be a part which is tied by the unit cells of about 3 to 4. For example, a stack cell battery may be manufactured by stacking the unit cells of about 300 to 400, and the stack voltage measuring unit 110 may measure the stack voltage for each of about 3 to 4 unit cells for each of channels. In particular, the stack voltage measuring unit 110 may measure a stack voltage when a test drive is performed after manufacturing a vehicle, and then periodically may measure a stack voltage on driving to calculate a correction variable initially.

(16) The correction variable calculating unit 120 may calculate the average value of the measurement data in each predetermined stack current interval by using the data measured by the stack voltage measuring unit 110. The correction variable calculating unit 120 may calculate a deviation value for each channel compared to the mean value for each interval. In particular, the correction variable calculating unit 120 may check whether the measurement data of each interval is greater than the average value or not and calculate the deviation value as shown in FIG. 5.

(17) The storage 130 may store the measurement value for each channel of the stack cell battery measured by the stack voltage measuring unit 110, the average value of the stack voltage for each stack current interval calculated by the correction variable calculating unit 120 and the deviation value and the like in a table form as shown in FIG. 5.

(18) The stack voltage value correcting unit 140 may correct the stack voltage value by adding or subtracting the stack voltage for each stack current interval measured by the stack voltage measuring unit 110 and the deviation value stored as the table of FIG. 5. Then, the stack voltage value correcting unit 140 may transmit the corrected stack voltage value to the vehicle controller 200.

(19) The vehicle controlling unit 200 may calculate the voltage deviation between the minimum cell voltage and the average cell voltage by using the corrected stack voltage value and may control the stack current limit range.

(20) According to various exemplary embodiments, when a vehicle is manufactured, the stack voltage may be measured through a test drive, the correction variable value may be calculated and stored, and then the stack voltage measured when driving later by using the correction variable value may be corrected and forwarded to the vehicle controlling unit 200 and the like.

(21) In FIG. 3, the method for storing the correction variable of the stack cell voltage according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described concretely.

(22) First, when a vehicle is manufactured (S101), a test drive may be performed (S102).

(23) When the test drive is performed, the stack voltage measuring unit 110 may measure the stack voltage for each channel of the battery (S103). In particular, any methods applied to measuring stack voltage in the art may be applied for measuring the stack voltage for each channel.

(24) The correction variable calculating unit 120 may calculate the average value for each predetermined interval, for example, the stack current of about 10 A (S104). At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, the interval calculating the average value may be disclosed by being divided in every about 10 A interval such as OCV interval, of about 0 to 10 A interval, of about 10 A to 20 A interval, or up to of about 350 A to 360 A interval. The interval for calculating the average value may be, but not limited to, about 10 A, but it may include variable sets.

(25) Then, the correction variable calculating unit 120 may calculate the deviation value for each channel compared to the average value for each interval (S105). As shown in FIG. 5, the deviation of the channel 1 may be about +10 mV, the deviation of the channel 2 may be about 13 mV, the deviation of the channel 3 may be 6 mV and the deviation of the channel 4 may be about +3 mV. Those variable sets of values may be selected for explanation purpose but may not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention.

(26) Subsequently, the correction variable calculating unit 120 may store the calculated cell voltage deviation value for each channel to the storage 130 (S106).

(27) As the above described, in exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the cell voltage deviation value which is the correction variable through a test drive after manufacturing a vehicle may be calculated and stored.

(28) In FIG. 4, the method for measuring a stack cell voltage of a fuel cell by correcting the stack cell voltage according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described concretely.

(29) First, when driving is started (S201), the stack voltage measuring unit 110 may measure the stack voltage of the vehicle battery (S202).

(30) Then, the stack voltage value correcting unit 140 may correct the measured stack voltage (S203). In particular, the stack voltage value correcting unit 140 may correct the measured stack voltage by adding or subtracting the stack voltage value measured on driving and the previously stored cell voltage deviation value. For example, in FIG. 5, when the deviation is +10 mV in the OCV interval, the stack voltage value may be corrected by adding about 10 mV to the measured stack voltage value.

(31) Subsequently, the stack voltage value correcting unit 140 may transmit the corrected stack voltage value to the vehicle controller (S204).

(32) Accordingly, the vehicle controlling unit 200 may calculate the voltage deviation between the minimum cell voltage and the average cell voltage by using the corrected stack voltage value, and thus stack current limit range may be adjusted (S205).

(33) As the above described, the present invention may accurately obtain the actual voltage value of the vehicle battery by correcting the measurement error from the measured stack voltage value, and thus accurately control according to the current state of the vehicle battery during controlling the vehicle due to the accurate voltage value measurement for the vehicle battery.

(34) FIG. 6 shows an exemplary correction value of a stack cell voltage for each of channels of a vehicle battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. At this time, each graph shows that the cell voltage may be dropped from OCV state as the current amount increases while the vehicle runs. At this time, as compared to FIG. 1, the stack cell voltage measured for each channel may be uniform without any measurement error.

(35) The various exemplary embodiment of the present invention as the above described is for purposes of illustration, through the spirit and scope of the appended claims, various modifications, changes, substitutions and the addition, change, etc. can be made by the ordinary skilled in the art, and it is construed that the following claims includes these modifications, variations, etc.